Mumbai: Actors and animal lovers joined to mourn the death of a dog who was found killed in Lokhandwala Complex in Andheri (West) last week. Hundreds of people joined the prayer meet organised in memory of ‘Jai’.
On Friday, a prayer meet and candle lighting ceremony was held at the Manish Nagar CHS community hall and garden in honour of Jai, who was beaten to death on March 18, by Paws Hunger & Planet for Plants and Animals (PPA India), with the support of Paws of Manish Nagar and other self-help groups.
Animal rights groups have been raising concerns about the safety of the city’s stray animals and their carers after incidents of brutal killing of street dogs and assaults on citizens.
After the death of nine stray dogs this month in two incidents of poisoning and assault, the activists are campaigning for punitive action against culprits. They claim that the laws against cruelty to animals are weak since the accused in the Lokhandwala case was released on bail shortly after his arrest.
Driven by a shared commitment to animal welfare and the urgent need for legislative reforms, participants united in their demand for justice for Jai and accountability regarding the weak laws pertaining to animal cruelty.
Saakshi Teckchandani, founder of PPA, said, “We organised this prayer meet to stand in solidarity with Jai as well as to display strength and show of support for all the other animals and feeders who face harassment from housing societies. It was a testament of unity wherein animal lovers, animal welfare groups, community feeders and citizens at large gathered in huge numbers, lit candles and placed flowers to offer condolences, and discussed the prevailing laws to protect the animals and ensure their own safety with our pro bono legal aid team.”
With the demand of #JusticeForJai doing rounds on social media, around 1,000 people joined Friday’s prayer meet. The participants included actors and social media influencers including Arman Malik, Krissann Barretto, Mansha Bahl, Sambhavna Seth and Upasana Singh.
The participants signed a petition demanding stricter criminal laws against animal cruelty to underscore the collective resolve to combat animal cruelty and foster a society built on compassion and empathy.
"We had participants from across the state who came together to show their respect and fight for justice. PPA India & Paws hunger also has a petition signed by everyone who attended demanding stricter laws to be made in the Parliament. This will be the beginning of justice not only for Jai, but every animal in India,” said Sarthak Moudgil, founder of Paws Hunger.
On Wednesday evening, the residents of Powai also held a candle-light march to protest against the delay in arresting the man identified in CCTV footage as the suspected poisoner of eight dogs killed in the locality, including a lactating mother, on the evening of March 2.
